information about Bristol Watch Co needed "Swiss Fake"

[usadude]

I found reference to this watch in a search here, but I don't know how to obtain this information. It is listed in volume 21, issue 201 page 432 and volume 12, issue 120, page 199. Is there a way for me to read these reports? Thanks for any help.

USA Dude

[usadude]

I found reference to this watch in a search here, but I don't know how to obtain this information. It is listed in volume 21, issue 201 page 432 and volume 12, issue 120, page 199. Is there a way for me to read these reports? Thanks for any help.

USA Dude

[Kent]

USA Dude:

Apparently you found this information in the online Bulletin index. Back issues of the Bulletin are available on loan from the NAWCC Library, by mail, to members.

Kent :smile:

[usadude]

Darn, I was hoping it could be read online. Thanks for this information.

USA Dude

[Greg Crockett]

USA Dude,

you might try looking it up in Swiss Watchmakers by Pritchard while you are at it. I think the manufacturer may be listed there. I have one of these watches. It looks sort of like a Waltham M1857 key wind. The Swiss called these things "Boston" watches. Most of them were clearly made to fool people into thinking they were buying American made products.

[usadude]

Thanks for the reply Greg. Do you have any idea on when they were imported into the USA? The one I have is key wind at 12 position, key set. Hinge for front cover is at 7:30 position. Dial is in perfect condition, but balance is loose. Let me know if this is about the same as yours. Thanks again.

USA Dude

[Greg Crockett]

My watch may or may not look like yours. It is undersprung and the layout of the plates is like various other watches with names like, Ohio Watch Co, Wallingford Watch Co., Brighton Watch Co., etc. It might help if you can post an image of your movement. I have repaired a few of these watches with various names on them and still have some movements. The lay out of the plates for these watches generally follows the M1857 Waltham. On one group the barrel bridge is more like the Waltham, on another group the barrel bridge has a less symmetrical wavy appearance. I suppose there were one or more ebauche makers who supplied the trade. I think this is true because the screws on nearly identical watches have not always the same. Various Swiss Companies would have finished these ebauche plates into watches and added the American sounding names. Once in a while one of these will show up with markings identifying the watch as Swiss with the name of the Swiss maker in plain view. Some of the key-wind Swiss fakes I repaired were not all that bad in quality. The keywind Swiss fakes probably were made from the 1860's through about 1890. If the Swiss fakes followed the trend of the watches they copied, I would suppose the undersprung examples (hairspring under the balance wheel) might be older than the oversprung types.

[usadude]

Thanks again, this is a under sprung model, and the balance wheel seems to be loose for some reason. I will try to set up a url so I can post a picture of the dial and works. My Netscape will not allow me to do that, some problem with the latest version, so I must use Microsoft for that.

USA Dude